Constantinople was better protected & better located to trade routes than Western Roman Empire's capital, Rome

Constantinople gained wealth and power from trading & shipping

Other Byzantine cities benefited from their strong capitalFOREIGN INVASIONTHE ORIGINAL CAPITAL WAS...ROMEConstantineOn your Map...But Then There was a Split...Fall of One Roman Empire & Rise of AnotherECONOMIC ISSUESLet's Refresh our Memory...What do we already know about the Roman Empire?RISING TAXES

BARTERING (exchange of goods without money)

INFLATION (period of rising prices of goods)Reunited Empire

Shifted capital from Rome to Byzantium (ancient Greek city)

Capital renamed ConstantinopleA Permanent DivideAfter Constantine's death, his 3 sons were to inherent empire, but they could not get along and caused constant unrest

In 395, the empire was permanently divided into eastern and western empires

Gradually Germanic hunters and herders began to overtake Roman lands in Greece & GaulNOW... LET'S REVIEW WITHSALT & PEPPER GAMELet's Recap What We Just ReadRomulus Augustulus was last Western Roman Emperor

He was 14 when he was ousted by German forces in 476FUN FACT:TRIVIA QUESTION:Byzantine Empire flourished for over 1000 years until being conquered by Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II in 1453 & Constantinople became capital of the Ottoman EmpireWhat was Constantinople renamed?

Hint: We still call it by this nameThe Changing EmpiresReadingWestern Roman EmpireByzantine EmpireFall of One Roman Empire & Rise of Another